Fluffy the Vampire Slayer
by Four Mary
Summary: Buffy dies. Angel and the gang come to England. And my friend Vicki becomes the new Slayer. In Walsall of all places. It's stupid, just read.
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: I do not know anyone who works on Angel or do I know anyone who knows them. This story is pure fictions and from my own and my friends imaginations. My friends and me are real so you can't have us. So there. Anybody else who you've never heard of belong to us though.

FEEDBACK: Much appreciated. E-mail me at boniberk@aol.com

Enjoy! 

----------------------------------------

PROLOGUE

----------------------------------------

All that went before… 

He looked deep into her eyes. There was nothing there now, as before there had been only kindness, warmth and a love for him. That had all changed since… since her initiation. He searched for something. Something that could be a reminder of who she was, but as hard as he looked he could find nothing and inside him something cracked. Emotions whirled in his head, telling him to just curl up and die, but he knew that this wasn't the way it was supposed to be. It had been destined from the beginning for him and her to lead their own separate paths. It was only now, when they had to part for the final time, that he realised how much he had come to care for the Slayer. 

'Buffy… I love you and…'

'And what…' She reached up and hooked her hand around his throat, pulling his face down against hers. His skin felts cool against hers. Once, her skin had had a particular warmth and vibrancy to it but now… now it felt like it was his skin. Cold. She pressed her soft pink against his lightly, pulling closer to him in what seemed to be an eternal lovers embrace. 

A look of surprise crossed his face as he saw the coldness in her eyes. Her lips had a faint tinge of blood against them, exciting him and her. He wanted to push her away but she seemed to grip him too tightly, forcing him ever closer towards her. Still trying to pull away, he flashed the mental image of the old Buffy Summers in his head. He drew a sharp, clean blade from beneath the material of his old jumper, cleverly concealed, and pressed it against Buffy's left breast. He jerked her against him tightly, crushing her almost in his embrace and drove the blade into her chest, pushing the cold steel through her frail body, into her fast beating heart. He pulled away at the point where her heart stopped and fell to his knees sobbing uncontrollably. Her lifeless body crumpled in front of him, falling beside him, an expression of astonishment fixed on her features. 

A firm hand was placed on his shoulder and he turned away from the visage, closing his eyes. Mental images of her falling body and her expression kept flashing through his head. The hand tightened and his eyes shot open. The vampire looked up to see his companions: Spike, his grand-childe and a fellow vampire; Doyle, the half demon; and Cordelia the cheerleading prom queen, through blurred eyes. Tears fell down his cheeks without stopping and all three looked at him in surprise, the sight of him crying a new occurrence.  

'What are you waiting for?' he shouted, 'Let's get out of here. Away from here. Please…'

Leaning on Doyle's shoulder, Angel and his three unlikely friends walked slowly down the alley and out into the bright lights of the empty late night streets. 

*****

'So. You had another one of those vision things again?' Spike turned to look at Doyle, who was sitting at the desk with his head in his hands. Sometimes Spike thought that all this time in America was beginning to rub off on him. He was even starting to sound like them. Vision things?!

'Well it certainly wasn't a skip through a daisy field,' Doyle sneered. 'Of course it was a vision!' The half demon moaned slightly at the sound of his own raised voice. It always seemed that after a vision his head was going to expand. Not in terms of knowledge but perhaps an explosion. He calmed himself down and continued. 'Look Spike, I've had enough of these damn things to know.'

Spike opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again as Angel shot him a warning look. The vampire had been brooding since THAT episode with Buffy and it had taken him a few months to come out of his depression. During that time, he'd thrown himself into his work and managed to exterminate half the scheming weirdo population of Los Angeles. Spike had never seen him so angry, yet coming home late at night he would hear Angel sobbing behind closed doors and find him asleep with a picture of the Slayer in his hands. Spike remembered that episode he'd had one night with him…

*****

'Get out of this goddamn funk Angel! Slayer's dead. Face it.' Spike leaned over Angel, almost spitting in his face with frustration. The vampire had gone into total recluse mode. Ok, so he wasn't the mean, lean Angelus machine that had sucked his way across Europe before crossing those stupid gypsies, but he was still a vampire. 

'But…'

'Fuck the but's! Buffy's dead. And nothing you will do or kill will bring her back. So you killed her? She was going to turn loose on the Sunnydale population and we didn't want the town to be renamed Bloodydale, did we?'

'Spike…'

'Come on Angel. The only alternative was for me to kill her. And we both know how good I am at Slayer-slaying. If you hadn't have done it then I would have got me a triple point Slayer score. And Slayer blood is pretty tasty. We've both had our share remember?' Spike felt himself hitting the wooden floor, after being punched clean in the face by Angel. That was the reward you got when you brought a man out of depression? Well, that was the psychiatrists' job out the window. 

'Said something you didn't want to hear? She was a demon Angel. And an insane one at that. She had to go, just like she would have had if she'd lived her normal life. She would have lived a long life, gazing at you with bitterness as you remained eternally young and her youth was ravaged. Either that or she'd have died young anyway. What with the Slayer age life expectancy and all that. At least she loved you before she changed. She didn't hate you, did she?'

Spike paused for a moment to allow the older vampire to hit him again. But Angel pulled him up and shoved him against the wall.

'Thanks Spike, I guess.'

No problems. I can understand the brooding though. Slayer wasn't half decent looking. Glad to see you've still got good taste after all this time. Drusilla was obviously the best, but I do remember one of those Irish girls…' 

'Spike…' Angel's voice rose warningly.

'Ok. Jeez. A guy can't even speak his mind these days.'

*****

Ever since then Angel had been on some kind of road to recovery, though he'd shown his lack of experience in the interrelation department. The guy had the looks, the sex appeal, but somehow he was a bit lacking when it came to talking to people. Oh yeah and if he had that one 'true' moment of happiness he'd be back to being Big Bad Angelus. This Spike didn't mind too much but he guessed that Cordelia and Doyle wouldn't be exactly thrilled about it. 

Angel stood up and walked over to Doyle, crouching beside him and placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. The vampire was clad in a dark blue jumper and black trousers that didn't leave anything to the imagination. His hair was its usual gravity defying self and the vampire looked concerned at Doyle. 

 'You up to telling us what you saw?' Angel spoke quietly as to not cause his friend any unnecessary pain. He knew what it was like with the headache thing. Doyle nodded slowly, every movement sending slivers of icy pain through his consciousness, but managing to blurt out the words.

'Four girls. Young. Surrounded by vampires. Not a lot of them, but it looks like a horde.'

'Sounds like the ideal vampire porno movie to me Doyle,' Spike sneered contemptuously. 'At least one of those kind of porno films with a plot guessing by the amount of vampires. What the girls like then? Cheerleaders I bet. We all know what a weakness you have for cheerleaders. Well, EX-cheerleaders that is.' Doyle laughed falsely. 

'Anything else?' Angel stood between his bickering companions, looking at Spike in particularly. Sometimes that twisted sense of humour could get a little on the irritating side. 

'We've got to go to England,' Doyle concluded. The two vampires looked at Doyle with disbelief. 

'England?'

'Yes, England.'

Spike shook his fair head slowly from side to side. 'Not again.'

Doyle and Angel looked up at Spike. Angel understood automatically from the look on the younger vampire's face and tried to warn Doyle who shrugged him off. A look of anger flashed in the Irishman's eyes.

'These girls are in danger. What the hell do you mean 'not again'?'

'Bad experiences…' The vampire's eyes glistened with tears as he turned away. He loved causing a scene and seeing the look on Angel and Doyle's face was enough to send a grown man into fits of laughter. Controlling the laughter on his face, he sighed pathetically and fell in a chair, covering his face with his hands. 

Angel straightened himself, standing up from his previously crouched position. 'Spike…'

Spike sniffled and raised his head, a wicked smile appearing on his face.

'Stop this. And in any case, Doyle's right. These girls need our help from the sound of things. And if you don't want to go then that's your choice. But Doyle and I are going, with or without you.'

'Going?' said a voice from the doorway, 'Going where? Where are we going?'

'England,' Angel replied. The figure stepped further into the room, her shadow stretching out behind her across the door entrance.

'Why England?'

'Damsels in distress. Plus England does have the best girls around, eh Doyle? These Americans aren't worth it.' Spike smiled. 'Welcome to the madhouse Cordelia.'

'All that way just to save some girls? Is it worth it?'

'Well Doyle?' asked Angel, 'How do you read the situation?'

The half demon raised an eyebrow. 'You're asking me?' he drawled in his Irish tinged accent.

'No. He's asking the Maha Rishi,' Spike said sarcastically, 'Of course he's asking you!'

Angel nodded in response to Doyle, pointedly ignoring the other vampire who shrugged and popped over to the fridge. He pulled the door open and took out a container of pig's blood that he downed in one, not caring to warm it up first. He grimaced at the taste. He still wasn't getting used to this whole 'pop into the microwave and heat for 5 minutes blood' thing instead of 'instant hot human blood'. 

'Well, my feelings is that this is more than a one off. These girls have been popping up in my visions quite a lot recently, though things haven't seemed as bad as they did in this vision. Those girls need some serious long-term help by the looks of things.'

'A lot like you then, eh Doyle?' murmured Spike, wiping the blood from his chin daintily with his sleeve. 

Doyle smirked. 'Nah. Maybe it'd be best if we thought about having you institutionalised William.'

'And maybe we should decide on whose got a 'slight' drinking problem as well as having a 'slight' demon infection?' Spike glanced across at Cordelia.

'Whose got a demon infection? I mean that's so gross! Whoever's got it better stay away from me!' Cordelia shuddered and looked at Doyle, who averted his eyes and glared at the grinning figure of Spike. 

'So,' interrupted the dark figure of Angel, 'Are we going or not?'

Doyle nodded slowly as Cordelia looked to Angel for reassurance.

'Might as well come. Give me a chance to have a nip at the Queen and see if I can get a decent drink.' Spike shrugged in acceptance, leaving only Cordelia.

'Angel… I would, but I can't leave LA. Really, I can't. I've got a couple of auditions. I only get a few, and those I do I can't fail to miss. I'm sorry. Besides…' she smiled coyly, 'You can do so much more without me in the way.' A silence fell over the room as all three men looked at Cordelia. Doyle raised an eyebrow, while Spike laughed to himself. Stupid girl didn't even make a point clearly while poor Doyle floundered about with his words. After a few seconds that seemed to stretch on forever, the human girl rolled her eyes and made for the door.

'What?' asked Angel, looking at the departing Cordelia, the confusion clear on his face. 

'If you don't know then I'm not gonna bother to explain.' She opened the door. 'Well, I guess this is goodbye then. Remember me when you come back and I'm rich and famous. I don't want you coming for handouts. Or demon problems for that matter.' The three men nodded, each saying goodbye as Cordelia left the building for the last time. Each realised that this was a new beginning for them all.

*****

So???? 


	2. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: See Prologue

FEEDBACK: Like I said before, it'd make my friends and me ever so happy. And it'll make me write more. 'Cos I've still got over 30 more chapters to go. So review please!!!

---------------------------------------

CHAPTER 1

---------------------------------------

Four makes company. 

Three girls sat at a table in a library that was full of lower year students milling around and talking loudly, in spite of the librarian's repeated warnings. 

'Where the fuck is she?' the first girl asked angrily. Her skin was a light brown, with shoulder length dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail away from her face. A pair of designer framed sunglasses was resting on the bridge of her nose, hiding two dark chocolate eyes. She was attired in black trousers and a white shirt that was cut to fit. She glanced up at the clock and muttered. 'Always fucking late… Some of us could be doing things, you know. Like go to Safeway and get something to eat.'

'She always late, Dippy. You know that,' the girl opposite her commented. Her skin was identical in colour to the first girl's, and she too had dark hair, but hers was long and totally black. It was tied back in a plait although wisps of hair had come loose softening her face. She too wore glasses, which she pushed up her nose and opened a magazine.

'Yeah it would help if she did arrive on time Naz. I bet she's stuck in Art or something.'

'Um excuse me? Art person here. She'll be here eventually.'

'Do you think I should get contacts? I've ordered some cool blue ones for a trail basis.'

'I dunno.'

The third girl kept her gaze resting on the door and the computer that was free… for now. Younger students from the lower years were always lurking around. Everywhere. They seemed to lurk everywhere. And it was just her luck her mother wouldn't let her get Internet access when it was the one thing she really wanted. Her hair was short and a mass of dark curls decorated with a selection of small colourful, glittery clips. She sighed and looked to the others girls seated on either side of her. Nazia was too engrossed in her film magazine to really care what was happening and Dippy was rapidly descending into boredom. 

A loud giggling sound interrupted the silence. All three girls looked up as the door opened and in walked a tall, slim blonde. Her hair was tied back in a similar ponytail to that of Dippy's and a pair of designer frames rested on her nose. She was dressed in a pair of decorated jeans and a tight pink shirt. Walking over to the table, she dropped her bag and seated herself on the fourth chair. She looked around at her friends and shifted uncomfortably under their harsh gaze. 

'What?' she protested.

'Vicki, you're late. Again.' Nazia looked across at Amandeep, who shrugged in response. 

'Yeah Naz, I am. And your point would be?' Vicki looked at Amandeep who in turn frowned, glanced at Sam and shook her head. Upon getting no response, Vicki continued, gazed at the girl opposite her. 'So Sam, what's happening?' Sam shrugged in response, fiddling with one of her many clips. Vicki rotated back to Dippy and Nazia. 'Well?'

Nazia rolled her eyes and pointedly returned back to her magazine, scanning some article about a film adaptation of Queen of the Damned being filmed. The fair-headed girl looked at Dip who just managed to look suitably bored. Vicki groaned in exasperation. They were obviously trying to make her feel guilty. And in a way it was working.

'So I came here for nothing?'

'No,' replied Nazia, 'Saving the school from evil is not nothing. Vicki, we don't live on a Hellmouth by chance you know. You're the Slayer and it's your job to do something about it. With our help of course. I mean, we are the only ones who know about this.' Amandeep and Sam nodded in agreement while Vicki sighed in defeat. Sometimes she wished she hadn't found she was the stupid Slayer and that vampires existed. 

Nazia rose from her seat and walked over to the stairs, disappearing from sight. The three girls could hear her debating with herself on what to choose and what to dump. A few moments later, she re-appeared carrying a large red leather-bound book. Dropping the book onto the table, she created a large dust cloud. Sam began to cough and waved her hands in front of her face, trying to disperse the dust that hovered in the air before her. Amandeep turned the book around and rubbed the thick dust off the cover with the back of her right hand.

'You would probably have thought the cleaners would have done a better job than this.'

'They probably do enough to get paid.' Nazia looked at Dippy quizzically. 'Go on then. What does it say?'

'Dreadful Demons and Dastardly Dragons.' Amandeep read out aloud, a grin blossoming on her face. 

'Dip! No it frigging doesn't ok? What's it REALLY say?'

'Well it damn well looks like it should be called that. Looks like something a magician would have in one of those fantasy novels we read too much. If you must know it REALLY says 'Codex'. That's it. REALLY.'

Nazia tutted and turned the book back to face her. She opened the cover causing a cloud of dust to rise and a violent sneeze escaped her lips. Amandeep fell back against her chair, overcome with laughter as Nazia skimmed the contents and then began to turn the brownish and dog-eared pages rapidly, all the while trying hard to control her sneezing. Sam fiddled once more with a clip quite impatiently as Nazia flicked the pages and Vicki craned her neck to see what she was looking for. 

Finally Nazia stopped turning the pages and manoeuvred the book so that everyone could see what she pointing to.

Vicki frowned. 'I don't understand…' 

Sam laughed and shook her head. 'Vampires? Naz, what are you on?! I think it must be all that Anne Rice crap you've been reading.' Amandeep nodded, about to fall into a fit of laughter. Nazia rolled her eyes as the two began to laugh hard which reached to a point where Dippy managed to hit her head against a shelf whilst leaning on her chair. Sam collapsed into more giggles while Vicki just looked at Nazia, understanding beginning to dawn in her blue eyes. 

'So that's what they were…' stated the blonde. 

Nazia sighed. Was she the only one who truly understood? 'Vampires. Yes. I would have thought the fangs and the need to suck us dry was an incentive to figure out what they were. Of course they were vampires!'

'But why here?' Sam made her hand into a fist and tapped it lightly against Vicki's head. 

'Uh… Hellmouth remember?'

'So what do we do?' Vicki enquired.

'Um… Get sucked dry by vampires? You're the Slayer silly, you slay them. And we did pretty well beating the crap out of those vampires last night, so I suppose we carry on as we are,' replied Dippy. She pushed her chair closer to the table. 

'Doesn't look like there is anything else much to do.'

'I think we need help,' commented Nazia, 'We're kinda out of our depths here.'

'You mean you need help Naz. I've always wondered about that.' Amandeep smiled.

'Yeah, yeah. Look who's talking.'

Sam spoke up. 'Help? Where exactly would we get this 'help' from Naz?' she demanded, 'Who'd believe us anyway? I don't want to be classed as a head case at 16, thank you very much!' Amandeep began to laugh.

'See? Sam and me agree. Naz is starting to scare us all. Maybe we should…' 

'Bugger off Dippy! It's obvious from last night that something strange is going on and that we should do something about it. Help or not!' Naz glared at Dippy before shrugging. There wasn't much chance of anyone being able to assist the girls as it was. Sam and Dippy were right. Who WOULD believe them? No, they were all alone. Vicki sighed.

'So who's staying after school tonight then?' All four girls each said they would stay and Nazia nodded satisfactorily. 'Good then.'

Sam rose from her seat and made her way to the computer, quickly grabbing the floppy disk from the computer before putting it into her bag. She looked back at the three girls who stared at her. 

'What? It's got smut on it. Not for the lower years prying eyes, ok?'

Dippy and Nazia grinned, while Vicki shook her head. The four of them made their way out of the library, shutting the door behind them as they heard the frustrated tones of the librarian for what seemed like the third time that day. 'Will you please be quiet?!'

*****

Vicki stood at her locker, checking her reflection in the mirror she'd attached to the grey metal door. She sighed. That Naomi had made a poor attempt at copying her hairstyle from the previous day and she'd masqueraded it in front of everyone. Fortunately, Vicki recalled with a smile, Naomi hadn't been quite able to carry it off and had ended up looking like a mutated pineapple. Satisfied, she shut the door with a bang and turned the small key, locking it. 

She waited a few seconds, breathing deeply. Then the blonde straightened her short, denim skirt that always seemed to manage to become completely crumpled in seconds. But it obviously didn't concern the new guy who had recently joined the sixth form, judging from his smiles and eye contact. Silently and cautiously, Vicki slowly made her way out of the conservatory, up the short flight of stairs, along the corridor and into the library. 

It was empty and dark and she shivered involuntarily. Normally the library was a warm, full and vibrant place to be. Now it just seemed cold. It seemed that ever the discovery of the Hellmouth Vicki had began to notice subtle differences in everything. Thing's weren't always as they seemed to be. She reached up and flicked on the light switch. The strip light bulbs flickered a few times before emitting a steady beam of migraine-inducing orangey white light. She stood for a few moments searching the room with her eyes.

There was the steady sound of footsteps behind her and feeling threatened, she twirled around on her heels quickly. She smiled. 

'Hey Dip.'

'Hey Vick.' Dippy entered the library, brushing nonchalantly past her friend and sitting on a nearby chair. Vicki shrugged and sat down beside her. Neither spoke for a while until Dippy commented. 

'Gah. I really think this is a waste of time. None of them vampires are gonna show up. Especially not here. Why a damn school, for chrissakes?! Nazia is mad.' Vicki looked at Dippy carefully. 

'Well, I hope you're right.' And I hope I can trust you, she added silently. 

The door swung open loudly and both girls looked up as Sam entered. Immediately she delivered her message, to avoid any annoying questions.

'Naz texted me, says she's gonna be late so we should go ahead and patrol or something. She says she'll catch us up.' Vicki rolled her eyes, tucking her bag further under the chair before standing up. When she glimpsed up, both Amandeep and Samantha were waiting for her so she made her way to the door and followed them out of the library. 

The three walked steadily down the corridor, Vicki and Dippy at the front, followed by Sam, in a backwards V formation. Just like birds when they migrate for the summer, Vicki thought. How she wished she could migrate away from all this trouble. Still, it'd look good on her UCAS form. Qualifications in Art, English, Psychology and Theatre Studies. Hobbies including computing, role-playing and vampire slaying. 

As they progressed, Vicki looked around to her friends. In her hands Dippy clutched a wide bladed knife. Sam held a piece of metal pipe she'd found beside the school caretaker's car. Vicki's hands were devoid of a weapon.

'Where'd you get the knife?' Vicki asked puzzled. 

'Somewhere,' the Asian girl replied vaguely. 'What about you Vicki? Whatcha planning on doing when we're attacked by one of those vampires? Giggle at them and hope they get scared?' teased Dippy. The blonde girl sneered at her friend.

'Very funny Dippy, ha ha (!) You're oh so witty, isn't it a pity? But anyway, I figured out I did pretty well yesterday…' She was stopped by Dippy holding up her hand. Vicki pouted and stared indignantly.

'I think I heard something,' whispered the dark haired girl. Sam turned round and swallowed loudly. 

'Shit.'

The two girls turned round to see the reason for their friend's explosive outburst. Ahead of them stood a surreal army of just one man alongside 8 women, moving slowly towards them with manic grins on their faces. 

Vicki and Dippy automatically stepped forward so that all three girls stood in a defensive line. They stood perfectly still as the small army approached them.

'Are they…?' murmured Sam. Vicki and Dippy nodded, vaguely disbelieving even though they'd seen this kind of thing before. 

'Oh God…' Sam closed her eyes momentarily, as if hoping that when she'd open them, the image before her eyes would have disappeared. She opened them again. Nope, they were still there.

The group of vampires halted in their advances. Vicki's lips moved in silent prayer as the sole man stepped forward from the ranks. He raised his hand in a command-like gesture and the women flocked towards the three teenagers.

As Sam and Vicki battled against three of the vampires, Dippy was surrounded by five vampires, each bearing their sharp fangs and ridged facades. There seemed to be no escape. Amandeep was tempted to shout 'A little help here people!,' but this was no time for irony. In sheer desperation, she spun the sword-like knife in her hands, the women advancing regardless. 

There was an ear-shattering scream as Sam defeated the first vampire, turning it to dust. Vicki turned and kicked one of the damned creatures in the chest, sending it slamming into the wall. She grabbed the pipe off Sam and drove it into her chest. The damn thing went straight through the chest but the vampire was still there. 'Fuck!' Pulling a wooden chopstick from her hair, Vicki drove the make-be stake into the vampire's heart. A second scream echoed down the corridor, leaving seven more to defeat.

Sam angrily snatched the chopstick from Vicki. If the blonde wanted to go bare handed, then that was her thing. No need to go and leave Sam defenceless. And besides, Vicki had had two chopsticks in her hair. Sam gripped the weapon and clumsily stabbed it into the arm of the blonde haired vampire ahead of her. Dippy stabbed it viciously with her knife before Sam accurately aimed for the heart and turned the creature to dust. 

One more finished, Dippy glanced over her shoulder and saw 2 vampires approaching her, preparing to take her from behind. She grasped the handle with both of her hands and swung the knife full circle, beheading them both. 

Meanwhile, Vicki was busy battling the male leader of the all too real creatures of myth and legend. She smacked her fist into his face, receiving a blow for every one she inflicted. She stumbled against the wall and looking over his shoulder saw Dippy chop the creature's head off with one clean sweep. 

On seeing their master's defeat, the remaining two female vampires looked on, and their eyes full of fear. They turned and fled.

Vicki scrambled up and joined her two friends, wiping the blood from her split lip. She was grinning, her eyes glittering.

'Now THAT was fun.' Her companions turned and stared at her in disbelief. Dippy opened her mouth to make the sarcastic comment that was expected of her, but was interrupted by loud, female shouts. 

The trio ran down the corridor and skidded around the corner. They came face to face with Nazia. Dippy, groaned, Vicki rolled her eyes heavenwards and Sam sighed with relief.

'You guys missed all the fun!' exclaimed Nazia. 'I just got two!'

The remaining three girls, looking to each other, began to laugh. Nazia frowned.

'What? What…?' 


	3. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is set in Walsall, England for those who are interested. Many of you won't be, and will have no idea where Walsall is. Good. Please review.

---------------------------------------

CHAPTER 2

---------------------------------------

Positions available for watcher and guardian angel: Apply within. 

            'So you beheaded them both?' Nazia appeared unconvinced. 

'Yeah and then I turned round and saw this vampire blokey beating up Vicki so I beheaded him too. Clean off.' Dippy enthused. Vicki and Sam smiled, very much amused, at Dippy's account of events. 

The four girls came to a halt at the entrance of the small teacher's car park that was devoid of cars when it was usually full. 

'I don't think we'll have much more trouble tonight. I better be off.' Nazia spoke up. Sam nodded in silent agreement. 

'Me too. See you tomorrow.' Nazia and Sam turned away from the other two girls and headed off in the opposite direction to the main entrance, leaving the blonde and her dark haired friend standing alone in the dimly lit car park.

'You going to?' enquired Dippy. As she had expected, Vicki shook her head.

'Not just yet. I need to check everything is alright first.'

'Me too.' The girls smiled understandingly at one another. Dippy walked off in the direction of the main school building, while Vicki turned and wandered towards the sixth form block.

She looked up at the building, which had recently been renovated and resembled some sort of silver space rocket. Her keen eyes scanned the windows. She was about to walk away when she thought she saw a slight movement on the staircase. 

She ran towards the block, fumbling in her pocket for the swipe card she needed too get in. Vicki got to the door, groaning as she realised that the damn thing was in her locker, back in main school.

'Oh well, here goes.' She stepped back and launched herself at the door. It gave slightly, but did not open. She cursed under her breath whilst rubbing her shoulder, which still shuddered with pain from the impact and stepped back once more. She took a short run and kicked the door. It swung open, bashing into the wall violently.

Vicki ran in and clambered eagerly up the stairs, two at a time. After what seemed like miles, she got to the second floor and pushed open the door, peering round. On seeing no one, she proceeded into the corridor, shutting the door carefully and quietly behind her. 

She prowled around, searching for signs of movement, looking into each room as she passed. All seemed empty and quiet. 

'Hi Vicki!' In surprise, Vicki took a sharp intake of breath and spun round to face the voice. She rolled her eyes skywards. Oh god…

'Hello Naomi. What are you doing here?' Naomi smiled. 

'Could ask you the same thing.'

'Studying…' Vicki mumbled.

'At this time?' Naomi snarled, 'Nuh-uh. I think we both know why you're here.' Vicki raised an eyebrow in question.

'Oh yes?' Naomi began to laugh loudly and Vicki cringed, the sound resembling a donkey's bray. She looked at Naomi in time to see the girl's face transform into an unrecognisable distortion. Where there had been smooth skin it became a mass of small ridges, her soft features becoming hard and angular.

'Yeah,' she hissed. Suddenly and without warning, she leapt at Vicki, her long, sharp red enamelled nails scratching at Vicki's face.

Vicki screamed in surprise as she fell to the ground, trying to defend herself against her attacker. She kicked at Naomi, but the girl rolled out of her way. Vicki cried out in pain as her foot was snapped backwards at an unnatural angle.

She tried to get up, but each time her ankle would give way, sending Vicki sprawling back onto the floor. She grimaced in pain, while Naomi looked on, laughing delightedly.

Naomi stood over Vicki, glaring down at her. She leant down beside her.

'Now for some blood,' she giggled.

'You always were stealing other people's food…' commented Vicki.

'Really? How do you fancy a knuckle sandwich then?' came a male voice, seemingly out of nowhere. Naomi spun around on her heels, coming face to face with a tall, pale, fair-haired man. 

Vicki watched as Naomi launched herself at the man, nails extended, eyes bulging. With a quick movement of his arm, he interrupted the vampire's short flight, sending her banging into the nearby door. He took a stake of wood from his pocket and thrust it deep into her chest.

The shocked looking Naomi's whimpers became a long, painfully high-pitched scream. Vicki watched on in amazement as the vampire's skin vanished leaving bones that crumbled into a pile of greyish dust, which in turn disintegrated further until there was nothing left but a memory of what had just occurred.

'Who are you?' she whispered. The stranger bowed and held out a hand.

'Spike at your service ma'am.'

*****

She swirled round, feeling increasingly paranoid. Dippy frowned on seeing nothing, and carried on going down the small flight of stairs. 

'Where to next?' she pondered silently. She entered the small corridor that lead to the English rooms as well as the newly furbished IT room. Dippy noticed that the door was open, and a whitish light could be seen inside. Not wanting to have a confrontation with Mr Jebb over her printing credits and blatant misuse of the school's Internet facilities, Dippy began to sneak towards the flight of stairs that led to the Art rooms. 

There was a crash as her appearance surprised the new Information Technology teacher, Mr McPherson. He looked up at her, grunted and bent down to pick up the books he'd dropped. He placed the books on the nearby stairs. 

'Amandeep! What on earth are you doing here? You know, I'd like to hope it was due to some IT coursework that you're here, but I'd be wrong. Am I right?' he questioned her. 

'Yup, you're right sir. But don't worry. One of these days I'll hand in some of my coursework. One of these days.' Amandeep grinned. Mr McPherson sighed.

'Ok then. Now we've got that sorted out, would you please tell me the truth as to why you're here late at night?'

'If I told you the truth you wouldn't believe me,' she responded, in complete honesty. 

Mr McPherson, or Mack to the rest of the school staff, frowned. Now what was he supposed to do? In all his years of Watcher training, he had never been instructed on finding out who exactly his Slayer would be. He had assumed, incorrectly of course, that when he passed all the 'exams' set by the Watcher's Council, they'd put a teenage girl in front of him and tell him to instruct her in the ways of the Slayer. But the truth of it was the Council had no idea as to who the current Slayer was. 

The Council had basically gone to pot when they'd called a one Elizabeth 'Buffy' Anne Summers to be the Slayer. She'd broken the rules left, right and centre and then went and 'died' on them. But she hadn't though.  The Council, thinking she was dead, which they were right in thinking, went on and called another Slayer, Kendra, to take Buffy's place. However this Buffy seemed to be made of hard stuff and promptly came back from the dead, so then there were two Slayers. Which wasn't good. But this was remedied when Kendra was slain by Drusilla, a notorious vampire with a huge 'family' background that Mack didn't want to even think about right now. 

Nevertheless, an uncontrollable chain of events had been unleashed, and since Kendra had died, ANOTHER Slayer was called. Who was a bigger problem to the Council than Buffy ever had been. This one's name was Faith. And she had been a bit 'not all there'. She had gone on an evil rampage and was finally stopped by Buffy, who put her into a coma. Thankfully. With Faith incapacitated, the Council decided to let Buffy continue to be the Slayer as before. But more problems, which frankly had made Mack's head hurt when he'd first read about them, and still did, had occurred. 

The Council didn't have many details, but those they did chilled every heart in the association. At that time, something went wrong. To be exact, Buffy went wrong. Nobody knew how or why, but she became more and more like the creatures she had been called to destroy. In the end, she had become so evil, so malevolent that the Council had decided that she had to be destroyed. And that's where the Council's files ended. There was nothing after that, nada, zilch, zip. 

When the Council had finally got something, they found out that Buffy had already been destroyed. But no one seemed to know how. At the time, all the Council had cared about was that she'd been killed. But there had been lingering reports on how an 'angelic' being had come and slayed the Slayer. The Council knew better than to listen to these 'reports'. All they wanted to do now was find the new Slayer. And fast. And now, here he was, looking for his protégé-to-be.

History lesson over in his mind, Mack stared at the girl in front of him. Was this bolshy, acid tongued teenager the next in line to being the Slayer? He certainly hoped to God she wasn't. Mack didn't think he'd be able to handle her if she was. Amandeep was very much like what Buffy had once been, he thought. If you could put the two together, he was pretty sure Amandeep would win hands down in any slanging match. In ANY match. But he had to know though. 

'Come on. It can't be that bad surely? Go on, try me.'

Dippy looked at her teacher closely. He seemed a little shifty to her. Was he a vampire? Dippy had no idea, since she didn't have the ability that Vicki naturally had to guess who was a vampire and who wasn't. But she had to know.

'Slaying vampires actually.' Mr McPherson nodded rather quickly, and then realising what he was doing, tried to play it cool by picking up the top book on the pile he had set down, and beginning to flick through it casually. 

'Vampires eh? And you would be 'slaying vampires' because…' he prompted her.

'…because they need to be slayed. Look,' she said angrily, 'I know you don't believe me but I'm telling the truth. I knew you wouldn't believe me.'

'On the contrary Amandeep, I do believe you. I do because I'm your new Watcher.' Dippy looked at the teacher in pure disbelief. She walked towards him and plonked down onto the stairs next to his books. 

'Don't look like that,' Mack said, sitting down next to her and pulling another book from the pile. He handed it over to Dippy. 

'Vampires.' he stated as if quoting off by heart, 'The legend of the vampire has existed, in one form or another, as long as there have been legends. Often thought of as a creature of folklore which rises from the grave by night and sucks the blood of innocent humans.' Dippy nodded slowly.

'Only in this case they're not just folklore, they're real,' she finished. Mr McPherson raised his hand, as if to stop her from talking. 

'Wait.' he spoke, 'There's more.'

'More? Oh I can hardly wait(!)'

Mack frowned. 'Yes well… So. As long as there are vampires, there has been the Slayer. More precisely 'a' Slayer, for each time a Slayer dies, a new one is ready and waiting to take her place, with a Watcher prepared to instruct and guide the new Slayer in her role as the scourge of Darkness. YOU are that Slayer, and I am your Watcher.'

'Er… correction. You may be a Watcher, but I am NOT the Slayer.' Dippy replied rather hotly. Mr McPherson pulled a face.

'But if you're not the Slayer then who is? And why do you know about vampires? You're not a vampire are you?'

Dippy laughed. Her, a vampire?! 'Mr McPherson, I am so not a vampire. If I was, do you think I'd be able to walk around in the daylight when I have to come to this place? Think about it.'

'Yes… well. I had to ask. You know about vampires. Not many people do. How do you know this? And more importantly, why?'

Amandeep sighed. God, teachers. Always asking their questions. 'How are you today, Amandeep?', 'Where's your homework, Amandeep?', 'Do you really want us to call your parents in, Amandeep?' 

'The reason why I know about vampires is because I found out. Accidentally.'

'On your own? Or are there others?' Mack began to get suspicious. He didn't think Amandeep was capable of finding out such huge information by herself.

The girl nodded in response.

'Would those others include the REAL Slayer?'

Dippy nodded again.

'Oh come on Amandeep. Out with it. Who is she?'

'It's Vicki sir. Vicki Ward?'

Mr McPherson racked his brain trying to think of the girl she was speaking of. A vague image of a girl in pink with strawberry blonde hair popped up. 

'Has a thing for the colour pink and wears those stupid novelty bags?' he asked.

'Yup.' Dippy waited to see what he said. It was a hard thing to find out that the saviour of the human race was a girl with an unhealthy addiction for the colour pink and hair dyed so many times no one actually knew what the original colour was. 

'So Vicki's the Slayer then. How did you two figure this out?'

Dippy shrugged. 'Wasn't us. Naz figured it out actually.'

Mr McPherson frowned. 'Nazia? Nazia Ashraf?' He knew that the young Muslim was a good friend with the girl in front of him, and Vicki as well, if memory served him correctly. She was a clever thing, a quality not unusual in this school. But she always seemed to have a wonderful grasp on how things worked. Well, as least how computers worked. He taught Amandeep and Nazia for IT, so he knew this quite well anyway.

'All right then. And how did she come to find this out?' 

Dippy took a long deep breath. She might as well get it out in the open. Especially if Mr Mack knew more than she did. 'You know Naz… Nazia's pretty good with a computer, the Internet, right?' Mack nodded. 'Well, she can always find you whatever you need on the 'net, which is great. Ok, the thing is, the four of us, that's me, Nazia, Vicki and Sam Hollowood were out one night and these vampires came and attacked us. Somehow, I don't know how, Vicki managed to kill them. We just thought it was a one off. But it happened again.'

'A few days after the second attack Naz, who'd been researching on the 'net since the first attack, told us she'd found out something big. She'd found this site with all this information about vampires and Slayers and stuff. Apparently it had been written by some witch girl called Willow, who once knew a Slayer, I dunno, some time ago. She'd been writing some online diary and it included all this info on how to figure out who the Slayer was, and how to kill vampires and other crap. Basically, by using that, we figured out that Vicki was the Slayer 'cos she was able to detect vampires, but the rest of us couldn't. But we were able to learn how to kill the damn vampires and that's what we've been doing since.' Dippy began to think. 'I do remember now something about a Watcher, but we thought that since no one had come then Vicki wasn't gonna have one. So we just carried on with what we were doing. But now you're here, things should get better right?'

'Of course.' Mr McPherson considered saying he hadn't a clue, but decided against it. The girl looked tired and didn't seem to want to hear that things may go very wrong at any moment. 

The sound of slightly faltering footsteps echoed from above them. Both teacher and pupil instinctively looked up at the stairs coming from the Art rooms and watched, waiting.

Vicki, in a rather undignified fashion, hobbled down the stairs and cam to stand a few steps away from Dippy. She waved at her and also noted, with a little surprise that the IT teacher was still hanging around. 

'What happened to you?' asked a confused looking Dippy. 'Last time I saw you, you weren't hobbling around.'

'Naomi happened.' Vicki limped towards the IT room and grabbed a chair and wheeled it out towards where Mack and Amandeep were sitting. It was then that she noticed the pile of books that lay on the stairs. Excel. 'Yuck,' she thought, 'I am SO glad I am not doing IT for A Level.'

'What's up Mr McPherson?' she grinned.

'Evening Vicki. Oh, I've not been doing much. But you, I hear you've been slaying vampires. Yes?' Vicki looked slowly from her teacher to her friend, completely bewildered as to whether he was being serious or not.

'He knows?' Amandeep nodded.

'Yeah, and get this. Mr McPherson here's your Watcher…' 

Vicki frowned, and was about to say something when Dippy quickly added, knowing Vicki would want to tell all. 

'…But what's this about Naomi?' Vicki laughed., the earlier remark swiftly forgotten.

'It's a long story. Well actually, it ain't. Here it is. Naomi is a vampire. I slay vampires. Therefore I slay Naomi. Bye bye Naomi. And I come away from it with a dodgy ankle. The End. Now, wasn't that a nice story, people?'

'You killed Naomi?' The blonde nodded and smiled triumphantly.

'Someone would have done it eventually, whether it was me or not. Her being a vampire just gave me an excuse.' The two girls laughed. Mr McPherson shook his head. He was still getting used to the idea that Vicki was his ward, and here she was, laughing about killing one of her schoolmates. What on earth would happen in the morning? Mack just didn't want to think about it. 

'It's 8 'o' clock. Hadn't you two better be off home?' He gathered up the books and took them back into the computer room, and then returning, Mack took back the book that was still clutched by Dippy, and placed it into his black leather briefcase. Dippy got up gracefully from the step and then stood next to Vicki. 

'Yeah, we'd better be going,' the girl answered in response for the two of them, leaving no room for argument. The two girls walked up the small flight of stairs, and towards the school office, the blonde leaning on the shorter dark-haired girl for support, a strange but touching sight. 

'Bye Sir,' called Vicki, over her shoulder.

'Goodnight girls.' Remembering the chair Vicki had brought out, Mr McPherson went to take it back into the IT room, as well as switch off the lights.

Dippy and Vicki may their way slowly through the school, occasionally pausing so the blonde could rest her painful ankle, discussing and joking about the events that had taken place that evening. 

As they walked out of the small car park, their eyes were drawn to a car parked ahead of them, by the main gates. The car, as they began to walk towards it, turned out to be more of a truck and was black and had big scratches across the side that was visible to them. 

Two men leaned against the truck, another man leaning out of the drivers' side window. Dippy noted, more out of her interest in cult American chows than any interest in cars, that the driver's side was on the left rather than the right. 

Vicki looked carefully at the men, but the darkness meant she was only able to pick out distinctive features. From the glare of the streetlight above, two of the men were dark haired whereas the third was platinum coloured. 

'Spike…' she murmured. Her friend glanced at her questioningly. 

'What?'

'Oh nothing.'

The two men jumped into the car as the girls got closer and closer. The engine roared into life, and the truck quickly sped away. Amandeep watched in more than vague interest.

'Who are they? I wonder…' she contemplated. Vicki looked at her friend and smiled knowingly. 

'I'm not sure, but I get the feeling we'll find out soon enough.'

*****

The library was pretty full by the time Vicki made her usual late but very notable appearance. Sam and the others were sitting at the desk furthest from the librarian, waiting impatiently. 

'What happened to you?' asked Nazia and Sam in unison, looking at each other alarmed, both surprised that the other had spoken at the same time. Vicki laughed, not at her friends, but in remembrance of the surreal events that had unfolded the previous evening, especially the entrance of a tall and dashing blond stranger. 

'What? Didn't you tell them, Dippy?' she commented. The other girl shook her head and smiled wickedly. 

'I thought I'd leave it for you. I just kept hinting to them. It's driving them crazy.' Nazia looked between the two girls, utterly confused.

'So… What happened? You didn't have that limp when Sam and I went home. Come on. Tell us.'

'Well, I can tell you one thing that happened. Naomi happened.' Sam, a look of vague sadness on her face, more for the thought of someone dying than for Naomi being the one who was dead, slowly walked over to the newspaper rack and picked up that morning's Metro newspaper. Silently, she walked back and held it out and Vicki took it curiously.

'Local schoolgirl Naomi Tucker, goes missing without a trace. Police suspect the young teenager ran off with her vicar boyfriend, who has also disappeared,' she read out loud. 'Well, I suppose it's up to me to update what is obviously an old headline. I think it should actually say 'Local vampire, Naomi, gets slayed by Vicki the Vampire Slayer. The End.'

Sam and Nazia looked at her, the shock visible on their faces, their mouths gaping open. 

'You slayed Naomi?' mumbled the amazed Sam. Vicki nodded in proud response.

'She was a vampire. She attacked me in the sixth form block. Tried to feed off of me. Icky!' She shuddered at the memory. 'Oh yeah, guess what? I found my Watcher. He teaches right here at this school. Guess who it is?'

Nazia, who couldn't be bothered to play these silly games, came out with the first name she could think of. 'Mr Day.'

'Not Mr Day! Why would he be my Watcher? He doesn't even know how to teach, let alone be someone who is gonna tutor me in the arts of being the Slayer. No, I'm talking about Mr McPherson.' Vicki groaned inwardly. Why would she be talking about Mr 'Call me Dave' Day? The man was a walking Neanderthal man. Actually, come to think of it, he would make a great vampire deterrent. She laughed. Nazia could come out with some pretty daft things at times. 

There was a collective silence as everyone stared at the blonde in front of them, Amandeep raising her eyebrows as if to say 'Go on, you explain it then, 'cos I sure as hell ain't', while the two remaining girls watched her puzzled.

'So Mr McPherson's your Watcher. Reaaally… And he says this because…' Naz enquired, the question pointed crossly at Vicki, who in turn pointed a finger at Dippy. The slight, dark haired girl sighed, in mock defeat and geared herself up to tell the others.

'Well, he say this because he knows that there are vampires here and that one of us is the Slayer,' she explained bluntly. There was no point in pulling the wool over their eyes or crack a joke. This was kinda serious and they were all in this together, whether they liked it or not. 

'Dippy!' exclaimed Sam, 'How the hell did you get onto this topic anyhow?'

'Well, he was still in school when Vicki and I went to check around. He asked me what I was doing there and I told him he wouldn't believe me. He said 'Try me' and 'cos I didn't think he'd believe me, I told him I'd been slaying vampires. He seemed like he already knew what I was going to say. And anyway, I REALLY thought he wouldn't believe me,' she finished. 'Besides, he seems quite the expert. He even quoted some stupid saying at me, all about Slayers and Watchers. So I'm guessing he is Vicki's Watcher.'

'Really. Mr Mack?' Both sixteen year olds nodded.

'He has books,' commented Vicki as she made her way to the computers and grabbed a chair after asking a lower year if they minded if she took it. She may be able to kill the living dead in seconds but she was also a polite girl, unlike some of the lower years. She sat back and put the chair next to hers, resting her aching ankle on the seat. It wasn't as bad as it had been last night, but it still throbbed from time to time, even tough she'd dosed up on enough paracetamol to knock out a tyrannosaurus rex. She winced as a blazer wearing lower year came past and banged against her chair, causing her ankle to hurt even more. 

The three girls watched their friend, two with concern, and Amandeep with a touch of amusement. 

'How are you gonna fight with that ankle?' Sam asked her, the concern clear in her voice.

People grabbed their bags and scuttled out of the library, much like colony ants, as the school bell rang for morning registration. Vicki shrugged dismissively.

As the other three girls made their way out of the library, Vicki called out after them. 'Relax guys! I'll be fine. Don't fuss. We'll be ok. And anyway, I have a guardian angel.' 

This last bit was said in a quiet voice, as if she were talking to herself. Vicki picked up her bag and raised herself from the seat, ignoring the pain it caused on her ankle as well as wonder why her friends had gone and walked off without her, when a moment ago, they'd been worried about her. She sighed. 'My friends. What am I to do?'

Vicki then smiled. 'Well, at least I've got my guardian angel. To save me from the evil Naomi's of the world. Not that I need saving.'

She began to limp out of the library and someone stepped in front of her, interrupting her thoughts. Looking up she saw Mr McPherson. Wow, what did you say to your teacher cum Watcher early in the morning?

'Hi Sir,' she said cheerily, 'Didn't see you there.'

Mack smiled. After what happened last night, it was good to see Vicki happy. 'Never mind that. How is that ankle of yours?'

'Just a little sore this morning Sir,' she spoke as the teachers began to flood through from the staff room, wanting to get their registers. Mr McPherson guided Vicki back into the library she had just departed. Although the library was silent anyway, he began to talk quietly.

'So, will you be able to fight tonight? Patrol as it were?' Vicki nodded immediately, smiling.

'Of course Mr McPherson. No question.'

'Look you know I'm your Watcher, and I really wouldn't want you to be fighting with a dodgy ankle.'

'I'll be all right, Sir. Nazia's getting some proper weapons for us to fight with. From eBay I think.'

'What? Weapons?' He shook his head. He really didn't want Nazia and the others to be fighting alongside Vicki, but from the sounds of things, she needed them as much as they needed her. 'All right then. But I don't want to see any of you hurt. Got that? If you can't kill them, run. Fast.'

The second bell, which signalled assembly time, rang causing Vicki to look down at her watch.

'Oh no! I'm late.' the teenager hastily turned away from her teacher, and made for the library door for the second time that morning.

'Look, just tell…' 

'Mrs Lambert.' she added.

'…Mrs Lambert that you were showing me some work or seeing another teacher.'

Vicki nodded, and scurried down the corridor, as fast as her painful ankle would allow her and disappeared from his sight.

Mr McPherson rolled his eyes in vague annoyance.

'These girls. Always late,' he muttered to himself as he walked to his form room to take registration for the morning.


	4. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please review. That's it really. 

---------------------------------------

CHAPTER 3

---------------------------------------

_Safety comes in seven._

            Spike leaned back lazily in his comfortable, but undeniably past its best, green upholstered armchair and listened to Doyle and Angel attempting to make battle plans for that evening. 

            'So. You park in front of the gates and stay with the car…'

            Doyle interrupted the souled vampire. 'Again? Why is it always me who has to wait in the car?' 

            Angel looked him straight in the eye, keeping his face serious, answered.

            'Do you want to prowl around in the dark not sure whether or not you're gonna be pounced on from behind and either have your throat ripped out or get sucked dry?'

            The look on the Irishman's face said more than his words ever could have. 'So. I park in front of the gates and stay with the car, then what?' 

            Spike rose from his easy chair and sauntered over to the bookcase, randomly picking a book, which was leather-bound and red, and then made his way back to his seat. 

            'Spike… you've been quiet all day. Since last night in fact. Anything wrong?'

            Spike looked up from flicking through the book, which was surprisingly a very old edition of a collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Spike had been looking for Hamlet, one of his favourite plays. Very bloody. Always the best. He glanced up at Angel.

            'Nope. Nothing wrong with me whatsoever. Just thinking we need to do less talking, and more doing, if you know what I mean. These 'plans' we come up with are often buggered up anyway. Why can't we just play it by ear for once?' He got up and placed the book back where he'd got it and then returning to his seat, began to start to count the tiles on the ceiling.

            After a few minutes, Angel glanced up at the cheap, white kitchen clock that had come with the house. 

            'Fine Spike. We'll play it by ear. But if anything goes wrong…'

            '…I'm to blame. Yeah, yeah, whatever,' the blond vampire finished. He climbed up from his chair grudgingly, and waited for Doyle and Angel to pass through the doorway before following them, closing the door behind him and locking it.

            The two vampires and their half demon companion made their way to the small garage, which housed the car. It was no small wonder they had found a house in the middle of nowhere with a garage in Walsall. It seemed that, unlike in America, there were no apartments with massive underground car parks. Just small, dingy bedsits or terraced houses with a spot allotted on the curb beneath their window. But somehow Doyle had managed to re-call some very dubious sounding favours and had secured them this detached four-bed roomed abode. Free of rent. With a garage. And even a spacious garden, both front and back. From what Spike could tell of Walsall, this was indeed a big feat.

            Angel lifted up the garage door and jumped into the drivers seat. Spike followed, leaping in nest to him and finally Doyle clamoured in the back. The dark vampire turned the key in the ignition and with a little splutter of protest, the engine came to life. The car was reversed out of the garage and onto the road with a quick ease. As he was about to drive away, Doyle coughed. 

            'Er Angel?' Angel looked to see what Doyle was about to say. 

            'What?'

            Doyle pointed at the still open garage door. Spike tried not to grin. 

            'Ah shit…' Angel murmured, climbing out of the car, slamming down the garage door angrily. Returning to the car, he leapt in and put his foot down on the accelerator a little too quickly. 

            'I will never get used to that damn garage door thing.' Spike laughed out loud.

            The car sped down back streets, speeding round sharp corners, and then eventually came to a halt outside the school gates. Doyle ran a hand through his short, black hair.

            'Jaysus Angel. You drove like a bat outta hell just then. What's the rush?'

            The vampire didn't reply. Instead, he bound out of the car and over to the smaller school gates. He tried to push them open but to no avail. It was then that he noticed the chain and padlock that held them shut. Angel cursed under his breath and backtracked to the car.

            'Locked?' enquired Spike. Angel nodded.

            'Damn.' Doyle and Angel looked at Spike in surprise.

            'What?' he demanded. Angel shrugged and turned back to the gates, wondering what to do next. Doyle just smiled knowingly at Spike.

            Spike jumped out of the car, his long, black leather duster flowing out behind him like a pair of bat's wings.  He landed neatly next to Angel and took the padlock in his right hand. He tugged the chain sharply and suddenly, and then watched as it fell to the ground, the gates sliding open. Doyle and Angel once more looked at Spike in surprise as he entered the school grounds easily.

            Angel followed the platinum blond vampire slowly. They crept forward until they came to the science archway. At this point, as if upon some silent command, but actually due to a common understanding, Angel turned left towards the main building whereas Spike turned right, in the direction of the silver faced sixth form block.

*****

            The girls had all congregated in the small IT network room earlier that evening and were now, an hour later, patrolling the grounds together to avoid a repeat of the previous evening's injury. Throughout the day, Vicki's ankle had eased and she was now able to walk without a limp and with only the slightest discomfort. They had now entered main school hall, after doing the whole of the main block, with no vampire sightings as of yet.

            She pressed her hand to her waist, feeling the cold reassurance of the wooden stake Mr McPherson had given her, which she had tucked in her pink studded belt.

            'Here vampires, vampires, vampires,' taunted Sam, trying to lighten the mood that hung between them like stagnant air. 

            'Come to Dippy.' She looked at Vicki, Nazia and Sam, and Dippy felt vaguely safe. They say that safety comes in numbers and so she felt a lot less threatened than she had last night, when she'd been very alone. Of course, nothing had happened, but still…

            Nazia sighed loudly and everyone looked at her. In reply to their unanswered questions, she began.

            'You know, I really don't think we have anything to worry about. I mean, hello? Swipe card system anyone? How can the buggers get in if they don't have swipe cards? I mean, half of us can't get into the damn school ourselves, so what chance do these vampires have?' 

She turned to face her friends as she said this. Vicki arched an eyebrow.

            'Oh yeah?'

            'Yeah.' Naz smiled and then stopped as she saw the looks in her friends' eyes. 'Oh shit… They're not…'

            Dippy and Sam nodded. Nazia slowly turned round to be faced by a terrifying sight. There seemed to be around twenty vampires, ready to feed, moving towards them.

            'SHIT!' Nazia shouted, and began to move backwards, as the other three girls had begun to do. 

            'RUN!' screamed Vicki, and Sam ran. She fled out of the hall, through the art rooms, and down so many stairs and doors, that she lost count of where she was. Cramp began to tear at her left side so she slowed, turning her head and instead of seeing her friends behind her, she saw an empty corridor. After the initial shock, she back ahead of her, her eyes landing on a tall, dark figure coming out of one of the technology rooms. 

            She quickly grabbed the ivory-handled dagger from the bag that hung at her side, and waved it threateningly at the man in front of her, who had begun to walk towards her.

            Angel smiled. 'There really is no need for that,' he said, as he gestured at the dagger.

            Sam looked more thoroughly at the man as he came closer, taking in his ravishing good looks, still clutching the blade, not quite sure of what to do. He could just be playing mind games with her, getting her to trust him before he moved in for the kill. Hell, he could even be a vampire. And her stalling would have showed him how non-Slayer she was.

            Angel took pity on the girl in front of him. She was obviously in two minds as to trust him or not, so he decided to make it easier for her. Pushing her to one side, he deftly staked the vampire that had been slowly creeping up behind the girl, and watched as it turned to dust. 

            'See? It's dead. I killed it. So that means I won't kill you. I'm here to help actually. Where are the others?' the dark haired man moved towards her and offered her a hand.

            Sam looked up at him and was still not entirely convinced. 'How do I know I can trust you not to kill me and my friends?'

            'With a name like Angel, how can you not trust me?' 

            Sam sighed and gave in, after all, what had she got to lose? If he killed her, then so be it. But if he were what he said he was, then she'd be helping her friends. Following Angel, she directed him to the school hall where she had left her friends to fight without her.

*****

            Nazia watched as their friend disappeared behind them.

            'Oh for fuck's sake! I don't believe this!'

            'I didn't mean for her to run. I panicked ok?! And anyway, Mr McPherson told me that if we get into trouble we should run.' Vicki's pretty features pulled forward into a childish pout.

            'Well, Sam took that bit of advice pretty well I'd say,' Dippy remarked sarcastically. 

            'Oh fuck this.' Vicki replied. The vampires advanced, the threat becoming more and more sickeningly real to the girls the closer they came.

            For some reason, the creatures stopped 6 metres from them. Each girl reached for her weapon, Nazia pulling out a crossbow from the bag at her side. Dippy wielding her trusty wide-bladed knife, and Vicki clutching her stake with its extra sharp pointy bit.

            Vicki looked to Naz, her blue eyes focusing with jealousy on the crossbow.

            'Whoa… Where the hell you get that from?'

            'Oh. Erm… I ordered it off eBay. This is the first thing to come by post. I kinda ordered it in the school's name. They won't mind, will they?'

            Vicki's laughs became whimpers as the cluster of vampires began moving once more, as if in slow motion. The three girls stepped back, retreating a step for every step the vampires made in advance.

            Dippy peered over her shoulder, ready to make a getaway plan. 

            'Shit.'

            Nazia and Vicki also glanced back. 'What the fuck do we do now?' Naz yelled, fear causing her voice to ring out shrill and high, as the girls drew back closer to the dead-ended hall.

            'Fight!' screamed Vicki, flying forward, her blonde hair flowing behind her. Nazia and Dippy watched, amazed, as their friend disappeared in an onslaught of the creatures.

            Nazia defiantly raised her crossbow so that she had a clear view down the arrow shaft. She aimed and fired, the arrow driving straight through the chest of the vampire ahead of her. She flicked her hair out of her face and whooped in triumph as the creature fell to the ground, instantly turning into dust. 

            Vicki, meanwhile, was fighting off vampires from every side as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She reached over, grabbing a handful of hair and snapped back a head, shattering the neck of the being, driving her stake cruelly into its heart. She pulled the stake back out before the vampire crumpled in front of her, not even getting the chance to take a breath before having to kick away another of the repulsive beasts.

            Dippy hacked her way viciously and mercilessly through a line of vampires, removing arms and heads, slicing through the creatures, sending them screaming into piles of dust. 

            The shorthaired girl made her way to where Nazia was rapidly running out of arrows. As the arrow hit its target, Dippy yanked it back out. She turned and watched in pure surprise as the arrow lodged itself in another vampire's eye, sending it screaming backwards where it met with its death on the end of Vicki's stake.  

            The Slayer looked up, grinned and once more disappeared amongst the army of vampires.

            Nazia and Amandeep worked side-by-side, destroying the seemingly never-ending torrent of the ghoulish bloodsuckers. Neither girl said a word.

            Vicki looked around, feeling increasingly tired and out-numbered. Her ankle was throbbing with pain as she kicked out time and time again.

            Dippy gazed up from the body of a quickly disintegrating vampire.

            'Hollowood's back.' Nazia glimpsed up, her intrigue overpowering the thoughts that one moment of concentration loss could mean her death.

            'Who the hell's that?' She aimed her crossbow at the tall, dark stranger running towards them. She was just about to fire when amazed, she and Amandeep watched as the man began skilfully attacking the nearest vampire.

            Sam was looking rather pleased as she made her way to fight beside her friends. From the looks of things she and 'Angel' had got here in the nick of time. 

            Vicki was quickly losing strength. She hit out desperately, her hits missing their targets more often than not. As one of the vampires leant forwards, eyes locked on her jugular with fangs at the ready, a rough hand encircled its neck and crushed its windpipe. Vicki pushed the stake into the creature's chest and as it fell, she pulled the stake back out and came face to face with…

            'Spike.'

            'We really must stop meeting like this,' he commented, taking her hand and pulling her away from the wall she had been relying on to keep her body upright.

            The number of vampires had dramatically decreased, how many had deserted it wasn't clear, but the piles of dust littering the floor gave everyone of the fighters hope. Nazia looked down at her pocket and noticed with dismay that she only had two arrows left. She planned and aimed carefully, taking out two of the creatures with her first arrow and three with the last.

            Sam had not yet tired and she was fighting with energy and enthusiasm, two qualities Vicki noted, that she didn't seem to ever have possessed before over anything other than that seedy American soap opera and football players. The dark haired girl kicked out sending a vampire to its death at the hands of Angel.

            Dippy applauded as her friends defeated the last four vampires. Nazia killed one by slamming the actual wooden part into the vampires chest, Sam sending another back to hell with her dagger, Angel producing a piece of wood out of nowhere and thrusting it into the creature's torso, and finally Vicki and Spike working together, with Spike holding the vampire down as the teenager drove her stake into the vampire's heart.

            A silence fell over them, each of the fighters looking to each other, silently examining with their eyes, each breathing heavily.

The heavy, yet comfortable, silence was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps. The girls tensed for a fight, while the two vampires recognised the footfall. A shortish dark haired man ran straight into the hall, dressed in a dark green shirt, black trousers and a leather jacket. He glanced at the men and then to each of the teenagers and sighed.

            'Don't tell me I missed all the fun(!)' Vicki noted, with no small amount of relish, the deep Irish accent, while Angel and Spike walked over to their companion.

            ''Fraid so, Doily.' Angel stood between his bickering associates, looking apologetically at the sixteen year olds. Doyle, following Angel's gaze, looked at the girls, his eyes landing on the blonde Slayer he had seen occasionally in his visions and often in his dreams.

            'I believe introductions are in order. I'm Doyle. This…' he pointed to the platinum haired man, '…is William the Bloody. Commonly known as Spike. He got the name from shoving railway spikes into people.' Vicki raised an eyebrow as Spike grinned evilly at her.

            'And this…' Doyle turned to the tall black-clad man to his right, '…is Angel.' All four girls nodded in friendly acknowledgement.

Doyle stepped over to where the Slayer was leaning against the wall, slightly apart from her friends, trying to take the weight off her ankle that was wracked with piercing pain without appearing hurt to the people around her. 

            'And you are…?' he asked softly.

            'I'm Vicki,' she held out her right hand. Doyle took it in his and the two shook hands.

            'That's Nazia,' she pointed in the direction of the longhaired girl holding the crossbow at her side. 'She's the clever one.' Nazia protested quietly. Vicki ignored her and continued.

            'That's Amandeep. Everyone calls her Dippy.' Dippy mumbled a greeting and began to examine her knife attentively, checking for scratches or a blunt edge.

            'And finally, the girl with her tongue hanging out of her mouth is Sam.' The girl blushed and closed her mouth, while Nazia grinned at her.

            Amandeep looked up thoughtfully from her knife. 

            'So. What are you doing here?' she enquired, the hostility openly present in her voice.

            'Helping you girls out,' replied Angel in his usual matter-of-fact manner.

            'We couldn't leave you girls to deal with a Hellmouth all on your own,' commented Doyle.

            'We're not helpless damsels in distress you know,' retorted Dippy coolly.

            'I never said that you were.' Doyle shifted uneasily while Vicki flashed her friend a look that Dippy knew meant that the blonde was disgusted with her unfriendly behaviour towards the newcomers. Then the teenager smiled comfortably at Doyle, placing a hand on his shoulder.

            'We're very grateful for your help. We'd have been vampire food tonight if you three hadn't turned up,' she explained, trying to act as a referee to the argument she felt would arise if Dippy didn't stop acting hostile.

            There being nothing more to say, the girls walked out of the hall, and through the Art rooms. The three men glanced at one another, whereupon Angel shrugged and silently turned to follow them.

*****

            Sam waved as the car drove away.

            'They seem like nice people.' she said to Vicki.

            'You mean ANGEL seems like a nice person.' Vicki grinned knowingly at her friend.

            'What? Is it that obvious?' The blonde shook her head causing a few strands of hair to fall across her face, which she impatiently tucked behind her ears.

            'Only to the girls and me. Men don't pick up on things like that.' Sam looked relieved as she pulled the large metal gates shut.

            'Well, it looks like you'll have your hands full,' Sam stated, changing the subject, a defence mechanism to protect herself from any more embarrassment. Vicki frowned in confusion.

            'What d'you mean?'

            'Both Doyle AND Spike.' The blonde looked away, trying to hide the sly smile that had crossed her pale face.

            'Sure, Doyle seems a sweetie, but Spike? I owe him. He's a friend. That's all.'

            'Vicki…'

            'Ok, ok. He's helped me out before.' Sam raised an eyebrow, but decided not to pursue it in a kind of gratefulness that her friend had not pestered her about her earlier disappearance of her interest in the mysterious Angel.

            'I hope Naz and Dippy get home alright,' murmured Vicki.

            'They'll be fine. See you tomorrow.' Sam turned and walked off in the direction of the nearby car park where a parent would be waiting in the car to take her to the relative safety of her home.

            Vicki observed her friend walking away. Shivering, she pulled her warm, woollen dark purple coat tighter around herself, took a deep breath and started walking home. She braced herself as, leaving the shelter of the metal gates, she was hit by the bitterly cold nighttime early October wind.

            She moved quickly, pushing against the fierce wind, her hair flapping out behind her. Vicki stared down at her watch. If she didn't hurry up, she'd be late again and she didn't fancy another one of those arguments with her parents. The teenager still had the feeling that her parents didn't believe her excuse for being late: being taught a evening class in IT and Computing by Mr McPherson, a claim that the teacher had promised to back up if ever the situation arose when Victoria's parents openly questioned their daughter about her late night activities. 

            Vicki sighed and made her way to the bus stop. It was another eight months before she could learn to drive and she was counting the days until she could rid herself of the inconvenience of the local, unreliable bus system.

            Her head snapped up as she heard a car slow down as it passed her. She really didn't need this right now. Not a goddamn kerb crawler asking for 'help'. Jeez. Walsall certainly was a hellhole, with or without the Hellmouth.

            'Need a lift?' She tensed, opened her mouth to make a sarcastic reply, and then closed it. She recognised that voice. Vicki stopped and smiled.

            'Depends if you're offering.' She wandered over to the car that was now stationary. 'Hi Doyle.'

            'Vicki.' Doyle nodded his head and pushed open the passenger side door. The blonde clambered in and shut the door quickly, blocking out the world. She spun round in her seat and smiled broadly at the Irishman.

            'So. What you doing here?' she questioned him.

            'I didn't want you out on your own.' Doyle gazed at Vicki for a few minutes before quickly looking back to the road, concentration on his driving.

            'That's really kind of you, but I can take care of myself.'

            'So I've heard.' The young woman stared around her, attempting to focus through the dark as they drove.

            'Hey, do you know where you're going?' she asked hesitantly.

            'I have a vague idea,' he answered. She nodded.

            'Good enough.' The teenager fidgeted in her seat.

            'What will your parents think of you being dropped off by strange Irishmen at all times of the night?' Vicki looked up at Doyle and grinned.

            'Oh the usual. They'll think I've got myself drunk out of my mind, and had to be brought home by a friend's boyfriend. They'll basically stress themselves to death.'

            'Yeah, just the usual then.' The girl giggled.

            'Is this your house?' asked the half human. The Slayer glanced to her left, turning back to Doyle, a look of astonishment on her face.

            'Yeah! But how did you…'

            'Let's just say I just know these things.' He smiled.

            'Yeah…'

            'Well, I guess…' Doyle blushed, feeling unusually lost for words. Disguising his awkwardness, he pushed open the car door, jumped out and quickly walked around the front of the convertible. The man opened the passenger door and gently helped the blonde down.

As she slipped from her seat, she stood face-to-face in front the half demon, their bodies close. Vicki looked into Doyle's eyes and smiled, reaching forward and placing a light kiss on his slightly parted lips.

            'See you around,' she murmured before turning wand walking to her front door.

            'Bye,' Doyle called out, his happy surprise delaying his reactions, as he watched her each for her leys and open the door. She waved and disappeared into the house.

            He waited a few seconds, his eyes remaining on the spot she had stood, a smile growing on his face.

            'YES!' he whispered triumphantly, jumping into the car and slamming the door shut behind him.


End file.
